Carolina Hurricanes vs. Minnesota Wild: Game Preview

Plenty has been made of the fact that the Carolina Hurricanes’ April schedule, with 10 of their 14 games against teams currently not in a playoff spot, is significantly less intimidating than their March gauntlet. We got a teaser of this on Thursday, when the Hurricanes dispatched the hapless Montreal Canadiens with relative ease.

But that doesn’t mean it will be a monthlong cakewalk on the way to a division title, and if the last time the Hurricanes faced the Minnesota Wild is any indication, they’ll have their work cut out for them to get April started on the right foot.

Game Notes

• This is the second and final meeting of the season between the Hurricanes and Wild. The Wild took a 3-2 win on February 12 in St. Paul despite two goals from Andrei Svechnikov and the Hurricanes holding a 37-27 shot advantage in the game.
• The Hurricanes have a good shot at evening the series tonight, however, if history is any guide. Carolina is 9-1-2 all time against the Wild in Raleigh, by points percentage their best record against any team at PNC Arena (excepting the one game played and won against the Kraken this year). It’s been seven years since the Hurricanes lost in regulation to the Wild at home, their only regulation loss coming on March 6, 2015.
• The Wild were one of the surprise teams of the trade deadline, prying Marc-Andre Fleury out of Chicago. Fleury is 18-10-6 all-time in 35 games against the Hurricanes, the majority of those games coming during his lengthy run with the Penguins. He’s faced the Hurricanes once this season, a 4-3 Hurricanes win over the Blackhawks on November 3 in Chicago.
• Over the past seven games, the Hurricanes have outshot their opposition by nearly ten shots per game, and have posted 40 shots four times. They’re 4-1-2 in those seven games.
• Assist machine Teuvo Teravainen has been on a real heater the past couple of weeks. He’s riding a six-game assist streak coming into tonight’s game, with eight total assists over that span. (It should come as no surprise that Sebastian Aho, with whom Teravainen is joined at the hip, is on a six-game point streak of his own as well.)
• Tonight is the Hurricanes’ annual Military Appreciation Night. In addition to what you’re used to - the 82nd Airborne Chorus performing the national anthem, the military vehicles outside the south entrance - the Hurricanes have announced a partnership with the North Carolina Warriors Hockey Program, part of a nationwide program of hockey teams for disabled veterans. (The release is below.)
• In addition, the Hurricanes will wear camouflage-inspired warmup jerseys tonight, and the jerseys worn by Derek Stepan, Tony DeAngelo, Brett Pesce and Vincent Trocheck are currently up for auction at hurricanesauctions.org until 8:45 tonight. (Others will be made available after the game.)

CANES UNVEIL PARTNERSHIP WITH N.C. WARRIORS
Hurricanes to support ice hockey program for disabled military veterans

The National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes today announced a formal partnership with the North Carolina Warriors Hockey Program, which provides ice hockey teams for disabled military veterans.

“The ‘Canes have long been dedicated to supporting our local military families, and with this partnership, it allows us to support these families directly through the sport of hockey,” said Shane Willis, Hurricanes’ Director of Youth Hockey & Community Outreach. “The Warriors have a great mission, and we are honored to be a part of it.”

The North Carolina Warriors program promotes ice hockey as a source of continued military camaraderie, sense of purpose and physical fitness for veterans with physical disabilities. The teams include veterans of all skill and experience levels. Based in Raleigh, they are one of more than 20 USA Hockey Warriors teams in the nation, and numerous other NHL teams have established relationships with their local Warriors programs.

“Partnering with the Carolina Hurricanes further legitimizes our organization to accomplish this mission by reaching an even larger audience of veterans, veteran supporters and donors to grow our program,” said North Carolina Warriors Fundraising Coordinator Kyle Siordia. “This is a huge step forward for our organization, and we are excited to grow with the Hurricanes in 2022 and beyond.”